Chapter 988: Alternate Timeline: Aftermath

The next morning.

Nexus Weapon Store.

The sunlight outside remained pale and weak while the morning breeze carried faint noises from the District into the store.

Inside the reception area, Arceus stared at Lucian with visible displeasure after hearing the news.

"How did this happen?"

Lucian sighed softly and shrugged.

"Who knows... But you should be careful from now on."

Nearby, Kiara silently listened while pretending surprise.

Meanwhile, Zion and Noah looked completely indifferent as always.

Kiara then calmly lied without changing her expression even slightly. "Last night, while I spoke with him alone, he mentioned the brothers from the Church of Doom would definitely rescue him eventually."

She folded her arms.

"I thought he was being delusional after everything that happened. But perhaps he was right after all."

Lucian’s eyes widened.

"That means this situation is serious."

His tone immediately turned heavier.

"All of you should be careful from now onward."

Then his gaze shifted toward Arceus specifically.

"Especially you, Ark."

*

Ten entire days passed like drifting smoke beneath a stormy sky, yet Wester Silver remained nowhere to be found.

The Imperial Palace reacted as if a venomous serpent had escaped into a crowded city.

Thousands of soldiers spread across the Imperial Capital like iron waves flowing through streets, markets, inns, underground taverns, merchant routes, abandoned warehouses, noble districts, and outer villages, while the six great House leaders governing the Duchies were personally notified by Alexander Phoenix himself regarding the escape of a seven-star Spirit Warrior whose whereabouts had vanished as completely as a stone sinking into a black ocean.

The Emperor regretted not destroying Wester’s cultivation. And he was now worried what Wester would do.

Taking this matter seriously, the Emperor called for a Special Investigation Team to entirely focus on tracking Wester’s whereabouts.

Kiara was also summoned and questioned.

So was Arceus.

So was Selene Ash.

So were the elders of House Silver.

Even the servants who once worked at Silver Manor were dragged into investigations and interrogations.

The Empire searched so thoroughly that even ordinary citizens began whispering nervously in tea houses and markets that perhaps Wester Silver had already fled beyond the borders of the Phoenix Empire itself.

Meanwhile, Alexander Phoenix took the matter extremely seriously because a hidden seven-star expert was not merely a criminal.

A person like that was a walking disaster.

The Crown Prince and his allied factions wholeheartedly supported the investigation as well because they feared that Wester might seek revenge against everyone responsible for his downfall, especially after the betrayal inside House Silver became public knowledge among the higher circles.

Even the infamous WEB organization failed to trace him.

That alone made many people uneasy.

A man who vanished from the sight of WEB was no ordinary fugitive anymore.

In the end, after exhausting nearly every available lead, the Imperial Palace officially issued a bounty worth fifty thousand gold coins for Wester Silver, dead, and 100,000 gold coins if caught alive.

And yet...

No one found him.

Inside Nexus Weapon Store, Kiara also carried complicated feelings regarding the matter, although none of them appeared on her face.

Wester had failed to appear according to their agreement.

Kiara clearly warned him that betrayal would result in death.

However, the amusing thing was that she never truly implanted any tracking seal inside him at all.

It had merely been a lie used to control him.

And because the system never issued another quest regarding his capture or punishment afterward, Kiara could not even determine whether the man genuinely fled or whether some unforeseen problem had occurred.

Still, one thing remained certain.

If they met again someday and Wester failed to provide a satisfactory explanation, Kiara would kill him without hesitation and collect the bounty herself.

After all, fifty thousand gold coins were still fifty thousand gold coins.

For now, however, life continued.

The store continued operating normally.

The customers still came.

Weapons and ammunition are still sold like vegetables in the market.

The world did not pause merely because one broken noble disappeared into darkness.

As for Arceus, his displeasure regarding the escape slowly faded after several days had passed.

Like a wound gradually drying beneath sunlight, he eventually stopped dwelling on the matter.

***

Three more days later.

It was around noon on the 13th day after Wester’s escape.

The dining area of the store smelled richly of roasted meat, warm soup, spices, fresh bread, and steamed vegetables while several butler robots moved around quietly with smooth mechanical precision, placing dishes across the long table.

Everyone sat together for lunch.

And just like every Friday before this one, the timer of the lottery wheel hovered somewhere around twelve minutes before refresh.

Most people around the table ate comfortably.

Only Kiara looked restless.

Every once in a while, her gaze drifted toward the wall clock.

Then back toward her bowl.

Then again toward the clock.

Arceus noticed it quickly.

Seeing that a large portion of food remained untouched before her, he gently asked, "Dear... is the food not to your liking today?"

Usually, he addressed her by name when they were alone, but because Alucard and Serestia Phoenix were nearby, he maintained the appearance of their relationship carefully.

Kiara looked up immediately and shook her head.

"No, it is not that, I just..."

Before she could finish speaking, Noah suddenly interrupted with visible dissatisfaction written across his face.

"There is no way Big Sister would dislike my cooking, Lord Arceus. She loves my food the most and I would never cook something that can displease my Big Sis."

The android’s tone sounded calm at first glance, yet the faint offense hidden beneath the words was obvious enough that even Serestia quietly lowered her spoon.

Arceus immediately realized his mistake.

Not wanting to upset him further, Arceus immediately apologized.

"Sorry, I used the wrong words. The food is delicious as always."

He then glanced toward Kiara. "It is only because she barely touched her meal."

Noah’s expression softened slightly afterward. "Big Sister simply has many things on her mind."

After living here for quite some time, he had already become accustomed to Zion and Noah behaving almost exactly like humans.

Especially Noah.

Among the two androids, Zion remained endlessly calm no matter the situation. Now that Arceus knew that both of them were life puppets and not humans, he could see Zion as a puppet, because he didn’t have many emotions and often, he behaves like such.

Noah, however, was different.

He was deeply devoted to Kiara.

Painfully devoted.

Whether it involved cooking, cleaning, organizing weapons, training servant robots, or managing supplies, Noah handled every responsibility with almost terrifying perfection, and whenever anyone pointed out flaws in his work, he reacted emotionally unless the criticism came directly from Kiara herself.

Also, he is extremely attentive to Kiara’s needs. A few days ago, as Kiara’s Moonblood cycle started with the phase of Crimson Veil, Noah didn’t leave her side a bit.

Arceus knew about the Moonblood cycle that every woman goes through. While he doesn’t know too many details, he knew vaguely from his mother, who taught him how to behave with his future wife, depending on their mood and emotions, etc...

According to what Arceus knew, the Moonblood cycle basically follows five phases:

1) The Crimson Veil, that lasts for 3-4 days, when the woman appears withdrawn, pale, or weary, as if they don’t have energy at all. They might get irritable and become short-tempered over even little things. During this phase, if one has a bloodline, it would be even more painful as their blood undergoes the process of purification, where the impurities in the blood will be ejected along with the discharged blood. The higher the number of impurities, the more painful it will be.

2) The Dawn of Embers, which lasts for the next 10 days, where the woman will laugh more, engage in talks with vigor, have bright eyes most of the time, seem optimistic about things, and there will be eagerness to begin new things.

3) The Flux, the most troublesome period in a woman’s life in this world. It is even more troublesome if she has a bloodline, as her ether and her bloodline run amok in her body, becoming unstable. Usually, before the period of flux arrives, they attend the church to seal off their ether for three days to be safe. This period of three days can also be divided into three phases. The first day is when the ether goes unstable. The second day is when she becomes bold, social, and confident. On the third day, their sexual appetite heightens to the peak. Undeniably, the most desirable day for the Nobles to consummate for the children.

4) The Twilight Mantle, which lasts for the next four days, where the woman’s mood shifts become too visible. Sometimes, she would be calm, and other times, she can be restless. People like Kiara could become quite unpredictable during this time.

5) And the Silent Horizon, the Relaxing phase that lasts for the next 10-11 days.

*

Arceus had been living here for a few weeks by now.

And as an attentive person, he did observe the changes in Kiara closely and how she handles them.

Most of the time, he did see that she depended on Noah, especially for physical comfort, such as a head massage or using him as a pillow.

Oftentimes, he saw that she would just lie on the sofa, sleeping with her head on Noah’s lap while he continued to read.

Noah knew Kiara’s Moonblood cycle very well, and he prepared food according to her mood and cravings.

Arceus also saw that Noah would know what Kiara intended to do beforehand, and oftentimes, he felt as if both were mentally connected.

Had Arceus not known that Noah was a life puppet, he would have already been incredibly jealous by now.

*

Back at the dining table, there was a brief silence from Kiara. She looked at Arceus for a bit with hesitation, as if she was wondering whether to say what’s on her mind or not.

But in the end, she casually spoke to everyone, "It’s nothing. I will be leaving tomorrow morning for urgent business to meet the manufacturer. I was thinking about that."

Arceus became curious instantly, but because of the awkward nature of their fake relationship, he restrained himself from asking further and quietly continued eating.

Soon, lunch ended.

Arceus returned upstairs for his usual short nap.

Serestia walked downstairs toward the reception area again.

Meanwhile, Kiara immediately absorbed three luck points from Alucard.

The moment her temporary luck reached ten points again, she calmly returned to her room and locked the door behind her.

Click.

The sound echoed softly.

Kiara slowly exhaled before opening the lottery wheel.

Twenty blank slots.

One green potion.

The sight reflected inside her eyes.

Last week, she obtained a reconnaissance satellite that remained practically useless without a launch system, forcing her to wait an entire week for another attempt.

This time her expectations were considerably higher. Because there is only one thing left in the lottery wheel, with the rest all blanks. But with 10 points of luck, Kiara was confident that she was going to acquire it.

Comfortably lying on the bed, she pressed the spin button.